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When the enemy infiltrated Army lines and set up a roadblock near Maro-Ri, Korea, on Sept. 3, 1950, Maj. Lukas, returning from a reconnaissance mission with about 200 Republic of Korea soldiers, found himself trapped in the roadblock.

“The sudden attack created confusion among the Korean soldiers and many abandoned their vehicles and fled, enabling the enemy to inflict 20 casualties on the group,” according to a commendation from the U.S. Army. “Observing the confusion and realizing that the regimental headquarters was faced with possible annihilation, Maj. Lukas turned his vehicle around and drove down the road to intercept the fleeing troops.”

He convinced them to stop, according to the Army account, and “dismounted two .50 caliber machine guns from an artillery truck and organized two machine-gun squads to return enemy fire.”

The resulting battle was bloody, with enemy troops outnumbering the soldiers under Maj. Lukas’ command. With little regard for his own safety, the major moved through the hail of bullets and took control of the machine guns, “killing seven, wounding 15 and causing the remainder to withdraw.”

He spent the night visiting soldiers in their positions, exposing himself to sporadic enemy fire, to encourage soldiers “to maintain their positions.” As daylight broke, he led a group of Korean soldiers on an attack of the enemy, “killing 45, wounding 30 and forcing the remainder to flee in disorder, thereby eliminating the roadblock.”

For his heroism in that battle, the then-major was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

It should come as no surprise that the Scranton native, who served as an adviser to the South Korean army and later an adviser to the Capitol Division, a military formation of the Republic of Korea army, displayed such grit and determination. He is one of Scranton’s most decorated war heroes, earning two Distinguished Service Crosses; several Silver and Bronze Stars, some of which had oak leaf clusters; three Purple Hearts and a number of campaign ribbons, according to a 1966 Scranton Times article.

He retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel after serving in World War II and Korea.

Before enlisting in the Army in 1942, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Luchowski graduated from Scranton High School and the University of Scranton. He legally changed his last name to Lukas in 1951, saying the shorter name “facilitated his work” in Korea.

Between 1942 and 1945, Lt. Col. Lukas took part in the Normandy Campaign, the Campaign of Northern France, the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign and the campaigns in the Rhineland and Central Europe.

Among his achievements during that time: liberating 700 American prisoners of war from the town of Gottengen, Germany. He said “many of the men had been in a prison of war camp since the North African campaign and at the sight of American soldiers they practically mobbed the Jeeps, kissing and hugging their liberators,” according to the 1966 Scranton Times article.

After being wounded twice in Czechoslovakia, he was hospitalized for four weeks. During that time, the war ended.

Lt. Col. Lukas, then a captain, returned from overseas on July 20, 1945, according to Army records, “and reverted to civilian status on Jan. 1, 1946.” He operated a food market in North Scranton until he was recalled to active duty in 1947. He “departed for the Far East Command on Nov. 4, 1949.”

In addition to his heroism in Maro-Ri, Lt. Col. Lukas “led the evacuation of 860 women and children from Seoul as Communist forces approached,” according to his obituary in the Baltimore Sun. “But before he could escape, a bridge was destroyed. He and others commandeered a rowboat to cross the Han River. Enemy fire sank the boat, forcing him to swim to safety.”

He returned to Scranton again in 1951, according to his obituary, and married Elizabeth Jean Anthony of Scranton in 1952. They had two daughters.

He continued to serve in the Army, completing assignments at Fort Meade, Arlington Hall Station and Fort Sam Houston. When Lt. Col. Lukas retired from the Army in 1968, he joined the Baltimore Police Medical Service, where he worked for six years.

The war hero died of heart disease on Dec. 20, 1992. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

ERIN L. NISSLEY is an assistant metro editor at The Times-

Tribune. She has lived in the area for 10 years.

Contact the writer:

localhistory@timesshamrock.com

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